Darren Adam Heitner, Esq. is the Founder of HEITNER LEGAL, Founder/CEO of Dynasty Dealings, LLC, Professor of Sports Law at the University of Florida and University of Florida Levin College of Law and Founder/Chief Editor of Sports Agent Blog, a leading niche industry publication. He is an attorney licensed to practice on the state and federal level, and focuses on sports, entertainment, and intellectual property litigation and transactional work.
Darren is the author of How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know (published by the American Bar Association), Contributing Writer of An Athlete’s Guide to Agents, 5th Edition, and has authored many sports, entertainment and intellectual property-related Law Journal articles.
Darren has a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the same institution.

Adidas Quietly Inks UFC's Robbie Lawler To Endorsement Deal

Ultimate Fighting Championship Welterweight division fighter Robbie Lawler has very quietly come to terms on an endorsement deal with AdidasAdidas. The partnership with Lawler, who defeated Matt Brown on Saturday night to solidify Lawler’s position as the No. 1 UFC Welterweight fighter, was subtly announced via a tweet by the Combat Sports division of Adidas.

While some may already be persuaded to buy Adidas gear based on the new association with Lawler, there existed little evidence in or around the octagon on Saturday night evidencing the contract that was recently signed between Adidas and Lawler. The UFC prevented Lawler from wearing any Adidas apparel for his fight against Brown and the Adidas name and logo were not found on Lawler’s banner display held by his team prior to the start of the fight.

Despite the lack of publicly available information concerning the deal, partially a byproduct of the UFC doing little to promote it thus far, FORBES has been told that the arrangement will include a provision that provides all necessary training equipment to Lawler in addition to a currently undisclosed amount of money in exchange for Lawler’s support of the Adidas brand. Adidas plans to heavily promote the association now that Lawler defeated Brown and is set to enter the octagon for a rematch against Johny Hendricks for the Welterweight Title. Hendricks defeated Lawler in a Title fight on March 15, 2014. Expect to see a lot of use of the hashtag #ruthless (in reference to Lawler’s nickname) leading up to the rematch.

A large image bearing #ruthless is featured on the Adidas Combat Sports website.

Hendricks is sponsored by Reebok. Lawler is now endorsing Adidas. The two brands are owned by holding company Adidas AG. Their next fight will draw some similarity to the final match of the World Cup, where two Adidas sponsored teams, Argentina and Germany, squared off against one another with Adidas being the clear winner no matter the outcome of the event.

“We are honored to announce the signing of Robbie Lawler to our global combat sports team, and to have the opportunity to work with him,” said Scott Viscomi, Managing Director of Adidas Combat Sports USA. ”Robbie is an outstanding athlete and individual who we have the utmost respect for. He is one of the most exciting athletes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and his fights never fail to excite the crowd. We look forward to working closely with Robbie to cement our commitment in contributing to the growth of the global MMA market.”

Adidas’ interest in gaining market share among Mixed Martial Arts athletes and supporters is an interesting move considering Reebok’s dedication to the sport. Reebok recently re-branded, including the use of a new delta-styled logo, with a focus on fitness as a brand. There have also existed lingering rumors that the UFC may soon announce a league-wide deal with Reebok. Meanwhile, Adidas remains entrenched in basketball, soccer and other more mainstream sports. Yet, the brand has dedicated the necessary resources to become a part of Lawler’s team of sponsors, and those that surround him appear to be happy with the deal.

“Working with Scott Viscomi and the Adidas Combat Sports Division on the Robbie Lawler endorsement has been an honor and a privilege,” stated David Martin, Manager for Robbie Lawler. ”We all believe that this deal is positive sign for the future of MMA and all combat sports. When a brand like Adidas gets behind a trailblazing, respected, and beloved veteran athlete like Robbie it’s truly a sign of good things to come. We look forward to the future and working closely with the Adidas brand.”

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